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Nice tent, you even have a little porch. Yours definitely would require more than a minute. I got such a great deal on my 6-p tent because I think it's a different model newer or older I don't remember. I just know I can't wait to get out there and make use of it.
A surprise to many of my friends they only ever saw the beachie side of me, but, I so much love camping and shopping for camping gear. Camping was something I did as a kid, and didn't get back into until just 9 years ago. Can't get enough. I don't mind if I have to replace my tent after a couple of years, I enjoy the search for a new tent especially since I I'm not going to spend a lot anyway.
With three people we put it up in 56 seconds. (we time it just for fun). We had put it up and down four times that week so the three people knew exactly what to do though. (not including stakes, although we got the stakes and ropes down to less than five minutes as long as we did not hit a root or a big rock)
BTW Beach/shoreline camping can get cold. Even in the summer.
We love camping. The more remote the better. Unless Mom comes. Mom requires flush toilets and heated showers that do not come out of a bag.
It is fun to search for a new tent, but looking around I have not found one I like as much as this one.
We have a smaller tent that looks like a tee pee. It is nice because it is very light, but it has a center pole which is a PIA. I think it says it is a four person tent but you cannot really do more the two. One is better. It is cool looking though. https://www.amazon.com/Guide-Gear-Te.../dp/B003C4Z7W2 You always end up tripping over the lines. It has a ton of lines and 20 stakes.
Last edited by Coldjensens; 04-11-2018 at 04:04 PM..
Yes the shoreline camping can get quite cold, it did the first night the second night had to kick off the covers. It was a pleasure. We still had summer temps much of the day at that time here in NC.
I love these instant tents, so my search for a type is over, I just have to see how long this one will hold up or I decide to upgrade to something fancier say something with a porch. Not jellio nope not at all. . Just teasing, but I may see something else later I want, but still in the instant model form.
I'm the only occupant of my tent though others seem to want to squeeze their way in uh no I'll bring my other tent for you is what I tell them. I like my lone space. But someone will show up at the site oh you have all that room you can fit another or two. Grrrrrr. More than once I ended up y up yielding the big tent to them and using the smaller one. Once even then one of the group tried to squeeze in my smaller tent with my. I said I fart a lot, so can't do.
I know Im safe this trip because it's three of us on one site and we'll each have a tent. Not so sure about the 28th trip it's a group campsite and I just know the ladies will be eyeballing my tent. I wish I had one of those biotch faces where people prefer not to approach. Sigh. I know it sounds selfish, but, it's not like I have friendship history with the person asking, well not always. Plus I don't like to plus that means I can't have a night time tinkle pot in the tent yes that's one of my main reasons, everything else is just jibberrish. TMI? LOL.
BTW. Every single tent out there has bad reviews. A lot of it is because people do not read the or follow the directions.
True, my 4 person instant tent had mixed reviews, but almost all the ladies on my camping trip s wated to know where I got my tent. One of of the campers took her very expensive rei it right tent back for a refund she felt it was a waste of extra money after seeing my tent. I wouldn't say quality wise REI would be a waste for most there are certain things one must factor in for how they will use the their purchase. Just that person could afford to spend the money she just didn't see the benefit in her particular purchase as to what she needed.
I personally think I would go a little better quality than what I did for my 4 person tent but still pay less than what she did for her tent. I don't winter camp, so, I don't need but so ruggard a tent. As long as mine stands up to rains winds and storms in general I'm good. So far my tents haven't let me down. But we all have different thresholds
I should add for others reading the thread, to it isn't about istant tents, so please feel free to talk about your tent camping experiences whatever type of tent you, have some of us like one type over another, it just means that is the better choice for us. I'm nott here to tell others they're selection is wrong, we all, I'm sure, hope hope for the same consideration.
I would enjoy hearing about others tent camping plans for this year.
Of course talking about instant tents are happily welcomed.
I had a terrific camping trip and it waited till early morning while we were still sleep to hit hard with the rains, but, I stayed very dry in my tent. The one flaw I found with my tent were the door zippers, they are annoying as they get stuck quite frequently. Other than the zipper issue, I really like the ozark trail 6 person tent I got for a great deal price.
I'm going to have to figure out a way to fix the zippers and please don't suggest I fix it by exchanging it for a more expensive one that doesn't have zipper issues. I know some are thinking it. Where there's a will there's a way, I will find a solution other than returning it I like it enough to keep it faulty zipper and all.
One of my camping friends was setting up her tent, she saw something crawling not far from the side and called me over to ask whether it was a worm or what. Well it was an or what. I barely wanted to look, as I admit, I'm squeamish when it comes to worms and the like, but, I looked for her sake, it was a tinsy tiny snake, don't ask me the exact color coordination, I don't know what line up of black yellow or red it was I just let her know for sure it was a snake and went about my business. She and one of the other ladies did whatever it was they did to get rid of it.
All in all it was a lovey trip, next trip the weekend of the 28th.
Hauled the gear out there in the F-250 and my tent was a little hiker's tent that my brother and his wife at the time gave me in the first decade of this century. The sleeping bag was a 15 F one I got from REI in the 90s and it has seen a lot of travel.
As a dive leader, I ensure that my divers are well fed. See what I said in my cooking thread in this forum.
I have three basic tents, among the other tents I inherited. There is the basic dome tent....but the poles are missing and I have yet to order sufficient replacements. There's a taller 6 person tent....but one of its poles snapped in a wind storm at a site that it was left set up at last Fall. The replacement poles ordered might work with it, but I have yet to try to make Manufacturer A's product work with Manufacturer B's tent. Then there is the hiker's tent which I used last Fall when the taller tent was at the other site and it works nicely.
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Originally Posted by Coldjensens
.....3. A propane stove. To me this was a concession to yuppie camping. I always felt you are not camping unless you cook over a fire. My wife hated camping after the first three trips with me. Then we got a stove, and suddenly she does not mind and even enjoys it sometimes. It is a worthwhile concession.....
This is one of my next projects.
This last trip had burn bans in effect at times, so I am wondering how else one does it if they can't have a camp fire. I don't know if a camp stove would be allowed but if so, it seems an easy item to add to the truck load out..............as a back up.
As it is, I do have a one burner hiking stove, another gift with the hiking tent, that I need to learn how to use well. At the very least, I could have some coffee before the divers get the camp fires going.
Getting camp fires going is not my best trick so I tell the divers that I provide the food and supplies but it is up to them to get the fire going if they want anything hot.
Quote:
Originally Posted by TRosa
ColdJ, I'm with you on the easy up tent and they're not for everyone, but they are definitely for me. I just order a bigger one as I have the four person one which you can't stand in and I wanted more headroom unfortunately,........
I got the taller tent after I had to go through contortions in the dome tent to get into my wet suit......but now that there are either changing blinds or just getting into them at the picnic tables, that is not a problem. My previous dive boss had a dress code for her dive leaders, hence why I was pulling on my wet suit in private over my swimsuit.
With the hiker's tent, the only real problem I have is pulling on my jeans, pulling on my boots, but I accomplish those with kicking my feet into the short "garage" of the rain fly.
Worst problem I've had with my tents? Poor tent stakes. There are the thick "wire coat hanger" type that come with the tent which are darn hard to hammer in. There are the inexpensive plastic stakes at Wally World that don't have ground penetrating power and can send the plastic head a flying with a good hammer hit. So I use a combination of
I saw the lower ones used by others at one site, so I ordered them and ordered the top ones as experimentation. They both are wonderful.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Coldjensens
........It does literally go up in a minute or less. Down takes quite a bit longer, maybe ten minutes if you include stuffing it into the bag.
I use a lot of REI duffel bags of various sizes. A large one serves as my "tent bag". Arriving at camp, it has the three tents in it, most components each inside in their individual bags, and then my sleeping bag and a tarp for the camp kitchen. As that I am using the F-250, it is just easier to throw the tent bag onto the truck. Further, if some of my divers arrive without a tent, I can loan them shelter......that they might have to be inventive with the replacement poles, duct tape, and parachute cord.
Breaking camp means throwing it all into the duffel bag and restoring it to ready condition at home.
As far as setting up in storms, something I learned early on, when I had to set up in the dark, was to set up as soon as I could when on site.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Coldjensens
As long as you securely stake all the ropes, it does great in storms. We have weathered some pretty amazing storms camping on the shores of Lake Michigan and Lake Superior. High winds, deluge rain, pine cones and tree branches (small ones) falling on it. . .
If you do not stake the ropes or miss one - it does not do very well at all. Even a 20 mph wind will push it over. It pops back up when the wind stops, but if it rains while pushed over it will leak. Also you ahve to fasten the fly properly.
My hiking tent is of the tunnel design and this last weekend on one day, the wind was terrific! I was watching that tent being squashed in the wind as it was blown to one side, even was in it at one moment, but it held up, popped back. I did have plenty of stakes used.
Last edited by TamaraSavannah; 04-17-2018 at 02:20 AM..
My annual camping / kayaking trip with college friends up in Michigan's UP was scheduled for weekend of 5/4. However with 3' of ice still on the lakes and 3' of snow in the woods we may have to push it back a week or 2.
My annual camping / kayaking trip with college friends up in Michigan's UP was scheduled for weekend of 5/4. However with 3' of ice still on the lakes and 3' of snow in the woods we may have to push it back a week or 2.
Hope when you do get to go, you all have a great time, so cool that you and your college friends get together annually for a such a trip.
When our kids were young, we took tent camping trips to destinations out west (had to fly to get there) so could only pack so much camping gear. Air mattresses were left at home.
The plan was (and it worked out very well) to stop in the back of a grocery store after we landed and ask for some cardboard boxes, which we flattened and slept on. Sure beat the hard ground.
Good memories.
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. Just teasing, but I may see something else later I want, but still in the instant model form.
